Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Poppy

"This is an anticlimactic evening, Kent. You lose major points for this," Harper chides.

Kent drove us home, and I could tell he was also in a hurry to leave, but the flirt in him wanted a moment alone with Harper. Unfortunately, the front door is cracked open, and I can still hear their conversation. I should keep walking, but I pause and listen.

Who am I kidding? Harper would do the same. Not to mention, Harper's dating life is like binge-watching a Netflix show. I'm not turning down front-row seats to that drama.

"I don't need to worry." Kent declares.

"Is that right?"

A heavy foot shifts, "You better start thinking about my extra credit prize because when I score, I break all the previous records." Kent purrs.

I close my eyes. How do Kent and Harper make these statements flirty, funny, and, at times… sweet? If I said that, I'd be a meme on TikTok.

Harper snorts, "I don't give extra credit. You either pass my test, or you fail."

"Well, let me fail because then, at least, I know you'll punish me." His voice sounds confident and cocky, and then I hear them begin to kiss. That's my cue to leave. I'll watch the drama but not the sex tape.

I walk to my bedroom, boxes neatly stacked along the wall in the correct order of what must be unpacked first. I have so much to do, but my hormones are surging, and my mind swirls with thoughts about Julian. When his lips grazed my jaw, I felt boneless, like clay. I wanted him to mold me, preferably into his sex doll.

That last thought is what shocks me, and it also makes me hesitate. After what Andrew did to me, I never imagined I'd be in this situation again, filled with lust, more so than ever. Julian makes me forget every man before him.

That's exactly what I want.

But I also know I can't be the naive fool I used to be. Not every prince is a knight in shining armor. I need to slow things down and get to know my new neighbor and not just the length of his penis.

I kick my shoes off and make my way to my new bathroom. I scrub my face harder than I should, and I'm blotchy and red when I look up.

"He's the good guy in my story," I voice.

I can't believe I asked him that, but something about Julian makes me feel completely free. Those stormy eyes have cut me open wide, and I just want to be honest. I want to be a lot of things I never thought I would feel again. Naughty, nice, flirty, and seductive.

Being around Harper shows me just how much I have changed. I've built a cocoon around myself, but my wings are ready and itching to break free and fly.

"Well…" Harper joins me, already starting to undress down to her bra and panties. I've seen her completely naked more times than I have seen myself nude.

"He's a sinfully good kisser. It's like I could feel his tongue all over my body."

"So, no need for sex then." I kid.

"No," she replies with a sullen tone.

My jaw hits the floor. I look like a cartoon character in shock. "What happened?"

She grabs a towel from the half-unpacked box and turns on the shower. "Kent is… he's…" She opens the door and allows the steam to cover her.

"Harper! Are you smitten with Kent?"

She rolls her eyes. "I'm smitten with a new guy every week."

"No, you're not. You're attracted but not speechless."

She grabs the pumpkin body wash and starts to lather up. Little does she know what scent she grabbed. I suppress a laugh, then grab the box labeled "Pajamas" in the far corner.

"I'm not speechless. I'm just accepting fate. The night was a bust; it's not meant to be, which is for the best."

"Why is that?" I rip open a box and wait to hear what excuse she will come up with.

"If I had sex with Kent, he would be my ten. I could tell by the way he kissed me. No one has kissed me like that. The way he worked his tongue could have made Mary worship the devil."

I reach for my pink flannel PJs, "What's wrong with finding a ten?"

"Everything!" She snaps. "If I find a ten right now, no one else will compare. They will all fall short. Sex won't be as much fun anymore. Kent will be the benchmark. I don't want the top charts yet."

"What if you stumble across another ten again."

"It's impossible. Once you find a ten, that's it; it's a slow death, Pops. You'll have sex with a new guy, and it will fall short, so you try again with another guy; boom, it's even worse than the last. You keep thinking about the ten, then become next-level obsessed with him. You turn into a crazy stalker lady who lurks around the corner. Once you hit a crazy level, no other ten will go near you. They can sense it. It's like an internal radar. That's why it's best to stay away from all level tens. One night that is defined as the best sex of your life is not worth no enjoyable sex and being hit with a restraining order."

I let out a whistle, "All or nothing then."

"Sex always is." She acknowledges. "I made up my mind."

"So what are you going to tell Kent? Because from what I overheard, he's eager for his punishment." I snicker.

She turns off the shower, grabs a towel, and slowly grins as she steps out, "That's simple. I'll tell him your crab infestation has spread."

I grab the first thing I see, a hand towel, and toss it at her. "You're certifiable." I giggle.

"I know, but admit it: You love me even more because I'm insane and have no filter." She grabs a brush and combs out her hair, "Julian liked you, pumpkin spice, crabs and all. He's even calling you ‘Pumpkin.'" She states, her blue eyes carefully watching me in the mirror.

I chew my bottom lip.

"Let me stress this, Pops: he gave you a nickname other than 'baby.' That means he plans on calling you that name for more than one night."

"Then he had to leave mysteriously. What do you think that was all about?" I ask as we both exit the bathroom and hop on my bed. "I just want normal, Harper. I don't want a bad boy."

"You don't want normal, or you would have stayed back in North Carolina and eventually found someone. You would have settled in that hell."

She's not entirely wrong, but she also doesn't know all the details.

"You want thrilling. You just have to be willing to give them the chance." She lays back and rests her arms above her head. "You haven't given anyone a chance since that last asshole you dated. Not all guys are that pig."

Harper thinks Andrew broke up with me at Peter's funeral. It's kind of the truth. I told him to stay away from me, but he also threatened me in return. I never got into more details, and she never asked because we both were dealing with Peter's death.

She pushes up on her elbow, "I don't mean to bring up bad memories. I just don't want you to close yourself off because of all the bad things that have happened. I want you to live like I am but in your own way."

"I know," I grab her hand, and exhaustion takes hold of us both. We're silent, both thinking about our past and future.

"Why do you think he had to leave with that other guy?" I yawn as I adjust my pillow.

She faces me and closes her eyes, "Let's gossip over morning coffee about it."

"Okay," I yawn again, "I'll make us some pumpkin pancakes, too." I'm not joking. I'm just a fanatic on a mission to convert her.

"Be prepared for a prank even worse than what I did with the Uber driver then," She grumbles with a grin.

Then I fall asleep beside my best friend.